Deadline Date:

Description:

Grants of up to $1,200 plus funds for travel and logistics to USA and Russia individual professionals to develop and implement projects in the areas of social inclusion for individuals with disabilities and flora and fauna. Selected participants will travel to the counterpart country for a 14-21 day period to learn new skills and grow their professional network.

SEE has launched the seventh round of its Independent Professional (INP) initiative to support collaboration among US and Russian social experts. Details on the program areas are as follows:

Flora and fauna:

Applicants should utilize the expertise, accomplishments, and innovation of the applicant and the host organization in one or several of the following areas: preservation of ecosystems and waterways, wildlife protection, and tech-based ecological stewardship.

Social inclusion of persons with disabilities:

Applicants should utilize the expertise, accomplishments, and innovation of the applicant and the host organization in multiple areas. These areas include tech-based learning and assessment, accessible environment, inclusive education, employment training, full accessibility of media to persons with disabilities, and the portrayal of PwDs on the screen.

Within the project, competitively selected candidates will travel to a partner country (Russia or the US) for the period between 14 and 21 days to collaborate with a host organization and participate in events and activities related to their project theme.

Over the course of project implementation in the host country, participants gain new skills and expand their professional networks. Upon their return home, independent professionals strengthen professional practice in their home institutions and benefit their own communities through implementation of activities directed at relevant home country constituencies making use of insights gained abroad.

These activities must be credibly shown to provide a clear and measurable benefit to at least 250 individuals. Illustrative examples of such activity may include the holding of training sessions on relevant skills, the presentation of results of their host country activities, and the implementation of a skill or product developed in collaboration with overseas partners to directly benefit the community, though other approaches are possible.

Host Organization:

A host organization is a thematically relevant organization or institution in the United States or the Russian Federation that provides a venue for in-person professional collaboration while independent professionals are in the host country. A host organization is expected to provide independent professionals with a general orientation to the organization and indicate a staff member who will be the primary point of contact for the independent professional. The identity and contact information of this person must be shared with SEE as well.

A host organization is expected to provide the independent professional with organizational support in connection with planned activities related to the completion of the project in the host country. These support duties may include, but are not limited to, organizing activities and site visits, arranging workspace and relevant materials, and providing professional networking opportunities. Participants must be associated with a host organization for the full extent of their time in the host country and may be associated with multiple host organizations, depending on the needs of the invited professional and the project.

NOTE: All independent professionals traveling to Russia must budget to spend one day in Moscow upon arrival for visa and registration purposes. For this one day, SEE may arrange for these US participants to be hosted by a university to facilitate logistics and provide a platform for networking and presentations. US participants must still arrange for at least one other thematically-relevant organization to host them for the remainder of their time in the Russian Federation.

Use of Funds:

The Independent Professional Award may be used only for activities directly connected to the proposed project.

Independent Professional’s stipend ($1,200) should be used to purchase items or services that directly relate to the implementation of the proposed project. Such items or services will vary widely depending on the nature of the project. Potential examples may include hall or equipment rental, costs for design and printing of presentation materials, cost of purchasing needed project supplies, etc. Independent Professional’s stipend may not include personal expenses (illustratively including travel, baggage fees, local transportation, hotels, incidentals, etc.). Project Fund Independent Professional’s stipend s also may not be used to provide linguistic assistance.

Candidates will be evaluated based on:
-Relevance of their project to a social issue in one or more of SEE’s chosen nine thematic areas
-The soundness of the proposed project design
-Its potential for practical benefit in both the Russian Federation and the United States
-Demonstration of collaboration across both countries

Preference will be given to proposals that also reflect the following:
-Clear, attainable, and measurable project goals
-Concrete deliverables to be attained as a result of project implementation
-Extent and quality of engagement of project participants and beneficiaries
-Number of people impacted by project (e.g. at least 250)
-Realistic timeline and budget for accomplishing project activities
-Clear approach to project monitoring and evaluation
-Strategy for sustaining the project’s positive impact beyond the funding period

GrantWatch ID#:

GrantWatch ID#: 181801

Estimated Size of Grant:

Support to successful candidates fall into two categories:

1) Logistical issues, including travel, visas, health insurance, and lodging will be arranged directly by SEE, according to approved project parameters. A living allowance, calculated using the length, location and timing of travel will also be provided.

2) Participants will also have the opportunity to receive up to $1,200 to be used for expenses directly related to the implementation of a project.

Term of Contract:

Implementation of all activities, including the realization of tangible and measurable results in the host and home countries, must take place between May 1, 2018, and end on or before August 31, 2018.

Eligibility:

Additional Eligibility Criteria:

To be considered eligible, candidates must:
-Be a citizen of the Russian Federation or the United States
-Have a proven academic and/or professional track-record in the thematic area/s of interest
-Demonstrate a general professional proficiency in both the English and Russian languages
-Avoid topics related to political activism or activity, public policy reform, or the changing of public opinion.
-Be primarily affiliated with organizations and/or institutions that work on issues within EF-priority areas
-Have not previously participated as an SEE Invited Professional, Independent Professional, Special Exchange Participant or as an Emerging Professional or Advanced Practitioner Fellow.

Individuals receiving majority of funding or salary from federal, regional, state, and local government bodies; government-funded social institutions (e.g. nature preserves); federal academic and research institutions (except for full-time students) are not eligible to apply or participate in the project as direct beneficiaries.

Projects should avoid topics related to political activism or activity, public policy reform, or the changing of public opinion.

Projects may not involve content and/or activities that are contrary to the laws of the United States or the Russian Federation, that engage in political activity, that attempt to influence host government policy, or that involve subject material that could be deemed controversial or offensive in either country.

Pre-Application Information:

Independent professionals may supplement SEE funds with additional resources (i.e. cost-share) to implement projects. Plans to make use of external funding must be reflected in the proposed budget.

Independent Professionals are selected via an open competition process. Applications for the current competition cycle must be received by 11:59 PM EST on March 12, 2018 (7:59 AM Moscow Time on March 13, 2018). Early submissions are encouraged.